-- Establishes limits on the powers of both Congress and the states Original Articles of Confederation called for a unicameral legislature, but this was amended at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 to bicameral with House and Senate - known as the “Connecticut Compromise” or the “Great Compromise”Senate (upper)House (lower) Unicameral to Bicameral legislature Senate = 100 seats / equal representation / six-year termsHouse of Representatives = 435 seats / proportional representation / two-year terms Makeup of the Legislature Republican Party (241)Democratic Party (191)Speaker of the House - John Boehner (R)Majority Leader - Eric Cantor (R)Minority Leader - Nancy Pelosi (D)

Republican Party (47)Democratic Party (53)President Joe Biden, (D)President pro tempore Daniel Inouye, (D)Majority Leader Harry Reid, (D)Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, (R) 112th Congress breakdown Electoral votes by state/federal district for the elections of 2012, 2016 and 2020, with apportionment changes between the 2000 and 2010 Censuses Electoral College map showing the results of the 2008 U.S. presidential election. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) won the popular vote in 28 states and the District of Columbia (denoted in blue) to capture 365 electoral votes. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) won the popular vote in 22 states (denoted in red) to capture 173 electoral votes. Nebraska split its electoral vote when Senator Obama won the electoral vote from Nebraska's 2nd congressional district; the state's other four electoral votes went to Senator McCain. Cartogram representation of the Electoral College vote for the 2008 election, with each square representing one electoral vote. Determining the President Electoral College = 538 votes US Parties 2012 http://www.urbanresearchmaps.org/nycongress2012/map.html Senate House of Representatives What's the deal with Nebraska? Nebraska Obama (1) McCain (4) 5 Electoral Votes 2008 Historical Trends Sept 27, 2012 Electoral Projections Sept 19, 2012 Voter Survey Projections Source: http://frontloading.blogspot.com/p/2012-electoral-college-map.html Sept 27, 2012 Electoral Projections Source: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2012/president/obama_vs_romney_create_your_own_electoral_college_map.html 29 Electoral Votes 18 electoral votes 55 electoral votes Electoral College Tie Obama (269) vRomney (269) Each elector casts distinct votes for President and VP, instead of two votes for PresidentA majority of electoral votes is still required for a person to be elected President or Vice President

What if it is still not decided? 12th Amendment (1804) Only once since 1804 has the House of Representatives chosen the President (1824)Andrew Jackson - 99 electoral votesJohn Quincy Adams - 84 electoral votesWilliam H. Crawford - 41 electoral votesHenry Clay - 37 electoral votes

Do you know who won? Electors bound by State lawElectors bound by pledges to parties ALABAMAALASKACALIFORNIACOLORADOCONNECTICUTDISTRICT OF COLUMBIAFLORIDAHAWAIIMAINEMARYLANDMASSACHUSETTSMICHIGAN MISSISSIPPIMONTANANEBRASKANEVADANEW MEXICONORTH CAROLINAOHIOOKLAHOMAOREGONSOUTH CAROLINAVERMONT* VIRGINIA ("may be")WASHINGTONWISCONSINWYOMING Electoral Laws Party Agreement ARIZONAARKANSASDELAWAREGEORGIAIDAHOILLINOISINDIANAIOWAKANSASKENTUCKYLOUISIANAMINNESOTAMISSOURINEW HAMPSHIRENEW JERSEYNEW YORKNORTH DAKOTAPENNSYLVANIARHODE ISLANDSOUTH DAKOTATENNESSEETEXASUTAHWEST VIRGINIA Generally political parties nominate Electors at State party conventionsSometimes chosen by a vote of the party’s central committee in each StateEach candidate has their own slate of potential Electors as a result of this process Choosing state Electors 48 States = Winner take all votesMaine and Nebraska = Proportional votes How Electors Vote Electoral College Timeline Voters determine their Electors in Nov. Presidential electionElectors cast their ballots in December for PresidentCongress counts the electoral votes in January Tie-breaker If no candidate has a majority, the House of Representatives votes for the PresidentThe Senate chooses the Vice President if no candidate receives a majority of electoral votes ? Congress Decide 12th Amendment Answer: John Quincy Adams "It was also the only presidential election in which the candidate who received the most electoral votes did not become president (since Andrew Jackson's plurality of electoral votes was insufficient to prevent the election from being thrown into the House of Representatives)." Wikipedia: 1824 Presidential Election 131 plurality Media and Elections Special Interests MediaInterest Groups& Elections To be continued...